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Fans have reacted to Oleksandr Zinchenko starting for Arsenal in their key Premier League clash at Liverpool on Saturday (December 23).
The Gunners are atop the standings with 39 points from 17 points, ahead of Aston Villa - who drew 1-1 at home to Sheffield United earlier in the day. The Reds, meanwhile, are a point adrift of the leading pair in third.
Having won their last Premier League game 2-0 at home to Brighton & Hove Albion last weekend, the Gunners will seek to extend their slender advantage over Villa by winning at Anfield.
Zinchenko has been a key player for the Gunners this season, registering a goal and an assist in 22 games across competitions, starting 16 times.
It's an unchanged XI fromt the side that beat Brighton. But fans are far from enthused to see the 27-year-old Zinchenko start in the centre of the park for Mikel Arteta's side because of a poor matchup with Reds attacker Mohamed Salah. One fan tweeted:
"Zinchenko against Salah gonna be terrifying but let's get it"
Another chimed in:
"Zinchenko against Salah wallahi we are dommed"
Here are the top reactions on X:
Arsenal have won a joint-league win 12 league games and conceded the joint fewest goals (15) this season as they seek a first Premier League title in two decades.
Mikel Arteta seeking first league win at Liverpool as Arsenal boss
Mikel Arteta's Arsenal are clearly on the rise following an impressive second-placed Premier League finish last season after leading the standings for a record 248 days.
Despite the added 'distraction' of UEFA Champions League football, the Gunners have surged to the top of the standings just before Christmas. Arteta will seek to conquer another frontier: a first league win at the home of Liverpool as the Gunners boss.
He came close to achieving it last season, with his side surging to a 2-0 lead before conceding a late equaliser to Roberto Firmino. The Spaniard said before the Anfield clash (as per Gunners' website):
“We have done it at Old Trafford, Stamford Bridge and many other places that for many other years we hadn’t and that’s the next challenge. Go there and win.
"If you want to be at the top, you’re going to have to go to those places and be dominant and win games. That’s what we’re going to try to do.”
Having won 25 league games in 2022, Arsenal are looking to register the same number of victories in successive years for the first time.
